The Crow's Nest
by SingingIntrovert
Summary: On a cold winter's evening, Ozpin had expected to simply enjoy a warm drink before leaving his office for the night. His plans, however, were interrupted when he sees a familiar blackbird swooping through the window of one of Beacon's towers.


Beacon Academy was as silent as it was empty. Most students were off for winter break with their families, while some stayed at school for the few weeks. Some of them wanted to catch up on work, while others simply had nowhere else to go.

As for their headmaster, Professor Ozpin continued his duties as if it were any other school week. Beacon Academy wasn't just his school, it was his home. Besides, when it came to Ozpin, his job never really ended.

One cold night, as snow was beginning to cover the school grounds, Ozpin was sitting at his desk, scanning over the security cameras for any signs of danger, despite how unlikely it was. It was holiday season, after all. There weren't often many major Grimm reports during this time of the year, as most people are enjoying time with their families. However, one could never be too sure.

The headmaster quietly sipped his hot chocolate and let out a gentle hum. He'd added some peppermint flavoring to his beverage, as well as a couple marshmallows that by now have already melted into the drink. Just because he was serious about his job didn't mean he didn't have time for holiday festivities.

As the man sat his cup down, he let out a quiet yawn. Perhaps it was time for him to go to bed. There seemed to be no disturbances or dangers, so Ozpin stood from his chair, mug in hand, and began to head out if his office when-

_Fwip!_

He almost missed it: A black shadow flew past one of the cameras, and Ozpin's drowsiness diminished as he quickly sat back down and watched the screens closely. He didn't see it again, so he rewound the clip and paused on the figure.

It was in the shape of a bird. A nevermore? If so, it was a rather small one. But upon taking a closer look, Ozpin's focused expression faded away into a small smile.

It was a crow.

He switched the cameras around a bit, curious as to what his little bird was doing back at Beacon. If he had a report, he would've messaged him via scroll. Then he saw the bird fly through a small window in one of the isolated towers, and his heart sank. _Oh, dear._

With a sigh, Ozpin rose to his feet, finished his drink, and made his way to the tower.

* * *

_It's too damn cold for this shit, _Qrow thought as his half-frozen wings carried him towards the familiar glow of Beacon Academy's CCT Tower. He knew that he should've stopped to rest at some point, but he didn't have the patience for that. He had too much on his mind.

He silently rejoiced when he saw the school come into view amongst the falling snow. His wings flapped harder against the wind as he swiftly flew through the small window of one of Beacon's towers.

Not just any tower, though. This one was a specific one that he'd claimed many years ago.

He shifted as soon as he entered, furiously rubbing his arms and exhaling warm breath onto his frozen fingertips. His eyes scanned the small room, and he sighed. He hadn't been in this room since he'd graduated Beacon. This was the room he'd found himself retreating to during his first year. He needed to be alone, to be somewhere where he could think to himself with no interruptions. He'd tried the courtyard, which was obviously a poor choice. He'd tried the library, but he couldn't seem to escape those other students who were always playing some weird board game. He'd even tried the roof, but he found himself walking in on two upperclassmen who were...also seeking some alone time.

Finally, the young Qrow had wandered the school until he found a staircase that lead to a completely empty room. After staying there for a couple of minutes, he soon realized that nobody was going to come up there anytime soon, if at all.

He'd begun to use this room as his hideout for the rest of his time at Beacon. He'd never told anyone about it, not even his teammates. This room was his and his alone. Looking back on it now, Qrow assumed he would've grown out of it. But here he was again, years later, coming back to think until his brain shut down for the night.

The man strolled on over to the corner of the room and sat there. The same spot he'd always sit in this room when he wasn't pacing back and forth. He leaned his head back against the cold wall, shivering slightly as he closed his eyes. He tried to imagine a happier time. A time of laughter, of light, of friendship.

A time where he had finally found a family.

Team STRQ was far from perfect, but it was more than enough for Qrow. STRQ made him feel wanted, made him feel loved. Hell, even Raven seemed to lighten up once they became a team.

_Raven._

A scowl spread across Qrow's face as he thought of his sister. She'd shunned him for leaving the tribe, but then she had the gall to abandon her family - her _daughter_ \- to continue living as a bandit. She knew what running away would do to Tai, and what it would eventually do to little Yang, but as usual, she chose to flee from her responsibilities.

Qrow felt his hand ball into a fist, shaking against the chill blowing through the window. He relaxed his hand and sighed, trying to think about something else.

_Summer._

Gods, Summer. The petite woman sometimes felt too good to be true, especially when she stepped in to help Tai with his daughter. Then the next thing anyone knew, the man had _two _daughters. Summer had given birth to her little girl about a year ago. It was a touching moment. At least, that's what Qrow had been told. He hadn't been there to see the delivery. He'd only seen his youngest niece twice, the first being when he learned that they'd decided to name her Ruby Rose, taking her mother's surname. It was a lovely name for a lovely girl. She seemed so fragile when Qrow held her, as if she'd snap in half if he gripped her too hard.

The second time was at Summer's funeral. He reached for a silver flask in his shirt pocket and took a swig as the memory played out in his head.

Qrow had heard Yang cry so much as an infant, but surprisingly, the young blonde was silent that day. She simply stared forward, a couple tears falling down her cheeks, but she never uttered a sob.

As for little Ruby, the baby was crying her eyes out. Qrow had no idea if she even knew what was going on, but in that moment, he felt his heart shatter.

Team STRQ was broken, and it's future generation was probably going to suffer as well. Qrow just sensed it at this point. As a bringer of misfortune, he always had a knack for knowing when something bad was going to happen. Nowadays, though, everything felt bad, and the huntsman couldn't catch up.

For the first time in years, Qrow felt lost.

"How nostalgic."

Qrow flinched at the sudden voice. He looked up from where he was sitting, his hand subconsciously reaching for his weapon, until he saw Ozpin standing tall, his cane at his side and his lips pulled up into a friendly smile. The younger man should have suspected he'd eventually find him. He must have been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open when he entered.

"What's that, Oz?" He grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Ozpin chuckled, "Well, this is not the first time I've caught you brooding in this room at the middle of the night. I believe you used to have a nickname for it, correct? What was it?"

Qrow let out a long sigh, cringing as he muttered, "My nest."

"Ah, of course." Ozpin nodded with another chuckle. He began strolling around the room a bit, "Yes, you always were quite fond of this room as a student. Was there any particular reason?"

"Nobody else knew about it." Qrow said, "It was the one place I could be alone."

He looked back up at Ozpin, "Not anymore, though. Obviously."

Ozpin made his way towards Qrow and sat down on the floor next to him. He sat up straight with his legs crossed while Qrow was hunched over with his knees up to his chest.

"You know, every time I've found you here," Ozpin said, his tone softer, "you've been in some form of distress. What's the matter?"

Qrow shook his head, "S'nothing, okay? Just...been doing a little too much thinking."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Yes." Qrow huffed. However, after a few moments, he finally gave in. "Look, I'm gonna need you to be more specific when you ask what's the matter because honestly, everything's going to shit. I don't even know where to start. Ever since Raven left Tai, things have been going downhill. The guy could hardly handle Yang on his own, and now he doesn't have a choice anymore. Summer's gone and Tai has two kids to take care of, and there's nothing I can do to help. I don't know what the _fuck_ to do anymore."

He held up his silver flask, and his voice suddenly grew harsh, "Look at this, Oz. I bought this because I needed something to carry my alcohol in. At first it was a few drinks, but I just...can't stop. I feel like whenever I don't drink, all my thoughts flood my mind and I don't know what to do with them. It's overwhelming and I don't want to deal with it anymore, but at the same time, I'm sick of feeling numb to everything. I'm sick of having to use it as some stupid crutch!"

Qrow angrily threw his flask across the room. It hit the wall with a crack as the lid popped off. Whiskey poured out onto the floor, and Qrow gripped his hair with a frustrated sigh.

"I'm tired, Ozpin." He muttered, "I'm so tired."

Ozpin gazed at his dear friend with remorse. He'd never wanted him to suffer. He trusted Qrow with his life, but he should have expected what it working by his side would cost him. The man felt lost, without a sister, without a friend, without any time to see his family, and now battling his own demons.

And it was Ozpin's fault.

If he'd just left STRQ alone, if he hadn't told them the truth, they would've gotten to live their lives.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, "I...I never intended for these events to occur."

Qrow looked up at him and their eyes met. Ozpin placed a gentle hand on the other man's shoulder, "Despite what you may believe, you are a good person, Qrow. You don't deserve this, and I can't apologize enough. I'm truly sorry."

Qrow stared at the man blankly for a moment, then scoffed. "A good person?" He shook his head, "Don't patronize me, Oz. Do you know how many people I've stolen from? What I've had to do to survive? The people I've _killed_? Look at me, Oz. I'm a fucking train wreck. How can you look at me and even consider thinking I'm a good person?"

"Because I know of someone who is _far_ worse than you claim yourself to be." Ozpin told him, his jaw setting as his gaze falling to the cane at his side.

Qrow recognized the body language instantly, and he sighed deeply. "Look, I don't know what you've gone through, whether it's in this life or another," He said, "and frankly, I don't think I want to. But I'm not gonna let you sit there and say that you're a horrible person just so you can try to cheer me up. It's not helping, it's just making it worse."

Ozpin opened his mouth to respond, but he had nothing left to say. He nodded as his gaze shifted to the small window, where the snow was starting to come through. He placed his hand on Qrow's, surprised at how cold it was.

"In that case," He inquired, "what will help you? Reassurance? A distraction, maybe?"

Qrow chuckled as a smirk formed on his lips, "Believe me, as much as I love when you _distract _me, Oz, I don't think I'm really in the mood."

"Well, after you clean up that filthy mind of yours," Ozpin teased, rising to his feet, "perhaps you'd like to join me for a hot drink? It's quite chilly in here."

He held his hand out, and Qrow smiled as he took it and pulled himself up, "Sure. Got nothing better to do, I guess."

Qrow let the older man lead him to his quarters near his office. About halfway there, Qrow realized that he'd forgotten his flask. He pondered stopping and going back for it, but Ozpin's grip on his hand was a tad firm, as well as very comforting. He shook his head, deciding that he'd go back for it tomorrow.

Once they got to his room, Ozpin set his cane down by the side of his bed before making his way to the kitchen, where he got out a packet of hot chocolate mix and began to make himself a cup. Qrow couldn't help but chuckle at the man's sweet tooth.

"What would you like?" Ozpin asked, "I can make coffee, cocoa, tea, anything _non-alcoholic_."

It was said in a teasing tone, but the message behind it was clear as day. "Black coffee is fine." Qrow told him, and he saw Ozpin scrunch his nose a bit. He didn't say anything, but he knew that in his mind, he was pondering how in the world anyone could enjoy something so bitter. Qrow never drank his coffee with cream or sugar, and he liked it that way. Ozpin, however, clearly did not feel the same. The look on his face when he witnessed Qrow sip his black coffee one morning was absolutely priceless. It was like he'd seen geist grimm.

Ozpin handed him a mug, Qrow mumbling a thanks as he took a sip. Ozpin lead him to sit on the couch in front of a dead fireplace. Setting his drink down, the headmaster lit a match and threw it onto the wood. Flames suddenly danced across the wood, and Qrow whistled.

"Damn." He said, "Thought that kind of shit only happened in movies."

"I may or may not have sprinkled a bit of fire dust over the wood." Ozpin said, sitting next to the other man and sipping his cocoa. Qrow scooted a little closer and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, sighing contently. Ozpin leaned against him.

The two of them sat in silence, watching the fire flicker and crack and enjoying each other's company. They did this often; sitting together in silence. It was refreshing for the both of them, each man having their own stresses and problems they wish they could escape, or at the very least, solve within seconds.

"Thanks." Qrow eventually whispered, giving Ozpin a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. The older man hummed affectionately and closed his eyes, mumbling a quiet "you're welcome" before the two returned to silence.

Two broken men sitting by a fire on a cold night; while not exactly ideal for some, for the wizard and his blackbird, it was enough.


End file.
